Apparatus for casting metal bodies



Nov. 27, 1928.

A. E. MIX

APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL BODIES Filed May 18, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

Wm -M M /m 5 mfi M M Nov. 27, 1928. 1,693,283

A. E. mx

APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL BODIES Filed lay 18, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. may 5 Mgr A TORNEYS Patented Nov. 2?; 1

UNITED .STATES: PATENT orr ca.

maa'r in. mm, or ammo, mm Arrmrnsroa ca'smo learn. norms Application at. m 1a, 1920. serial no. 109,325.

This invention relates to means for casting balls .or other bodies of metal particularly for usein'grinding operations.

The main object of the invention is toprovide a machine in which a large number of balls may be rapidly cast, discharged, and broken apart, in a continuous operation or consecutive operations, thereby greatly re ducing the manual labor required.

1 A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the casting operation is carried out with a minimum of waste metal. In casting balls or other bodies in the ordinary type of stationary molds now in'use it is customary to provide moldsliaving long grooves, channels, or other passages or openingsknown assprues and gates, with a number of recesses commp'nicating with such passages so that when the molten metal is poured into these passages it flows out into such i'e-. cesses to form the bodies of the desired shape. The metal remaining in the grooves, commonly known as the gates or "sprues, is thus wasted and mustbe remelted for use.

This in turn means'a'high fuel consumption vide for casting of a more uniform and dense ballv than may be otherwise obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine in which the balls are cast in sets, the balls in each set being joined together by neck portions, and to provide means whereby said balls may be automatically discharged from the casting machine and broken apart by severing of such neck portions.

A further object of the invention is to provide for rapid cooling of the metal after pouring, and also forrapid cooling of the molds.

The accompanying drawings illustrate apparatus embodying my invention and referring thereto:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of a ballcasting machine according to my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a partial view similar to Fig.1 5 showing the two halves of the mold in open 1 positio Fig. 4 is a plan view of the upper portion of the molds and part of the operating mechanism therefor shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a view showing a set of balls as cast in the-machine. 1

a Fig. 6 is apartially sectional front elevation of a modified form of mold members.

Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 in Fig. 6.

The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4 compr ses two circular metal mold members 1 and 2, the member 1 being mounted on shaft 3 which rotates in bearing means 4 and 5, and the member 2 being connected to member 1 so as to rotate therewith while permittin relative movement of said members paralle to the axis of rotation thereof so as to rovide for opening of the mold as hereina er de-. scribed. I Suitable means may be provided for causing rotation of shaft 3 togetherwith the 7 mold members 1. and 2, such means comprising for example electric motor 6 connected to said shaft by gear wheels 7 and 8.

Rods 11 may extend throu h openings 12 in mold member 1, and throug openings 13 in mold member 2, the portion of said rods within the mold member 2 being of somewhat decreased diameter so as to rovide shoulders 14'on said rods, against which the mold member 1 is held by means of nuts 15 screwing on the threaded outer ends of rods 11. Lugs 17 7 correspondin in number and position to rods 11 are providbd onmold member 1 and bellcrank means 18 are pivotally mounted on said lugsa Said bell cranks are provided with counterweight means 19 mountedat the outer Y ends of arms ,20 thereof, while the arms 21 of said bell crank'means are provided with slots 22 engaging studs 23 on rods 11.

A. revolving disk 24 is mounted on shaft 3,

groove 27 between said revolving disk and 106 flange 28 on the hub of said disk. Lever arm 25 maybe pivotally mounted as at,29 on sup porting bracket 30 and may be connected by pin and slot means 31 and 32-to rod 33 whose other end carries a piston 34 mounted within ressure cylinder 35. Means are provided or supplying and releasing fluid pressure desired for indicating the pressure in pressure chamber 35.

A suitable casing or housing means 44-may be provided surrounding the peripheries of mold members 1 and 2, said housing means being provided with a suitable opening 45 at the front thereof so as to permit access to the mold for pouring metal therein. Said housing means may be further provided with suitable means such as discharge chute 46 for conductin away the cast balls as the same are discharge from the machine.

The mold members 1 and 2 are eachprovided with a plurality of sets of corresponding mold recesses 48, there being preferably a plurality of recesses in each set, said recesses in each set being arranged radially in line with one another as shown and being connected by grooves, channels, or neck portions 49. Each of the mold recesses corresponds to the shape of one half of the ball or other body tobe-cast, so that when the two molds are brought together, a'cavity or mold recess of the desired shape is provided. For example, for making spherical balls, each mold recess is made heml-spherical in shape, as shown. The central portion'of mold member 1 is cut away as indicated at 50, and such cut away portion is in communication with the inner recesses of all the sets by means of channels or passages 51. A central opening 52 is provided in mold member 2 so as to permit access of suitable means for pouring the molten metal into the molds, and said mold member is provided with an inwardly extending lip 53 so as to provide a space 54 betweensaid lip and the face of mold member 1 for receiving molten metal.

As indicated in Fig. 6 the mold member 2 'may if desired be made in a plurality of segmental sections 2, separated from one anv other along radial lines asindicated at 55. The mold member 1 may also, if desired, be

made in any suitable number of sections. With this sectional type of construction I prefer'to provide a plurality of rods 11, for example two of such rods, for each section of the mold member2;for the purpose of causing the mold members to seatsquarely against mold member 1 whenjdraw/n inwardly as hereinafter described. Said rods may be secured to the respective mold sections 2jby means of pins 58 and lugs 59. In'this case the arm 21 of each bell crank 18 may be connected by slot and? pin means '22 and 23 to a cross-bar. 57

which is connected to the rearward ends of the two rods 11 so as to draw both of said rods rearwardly in closing the mold. The rotating disk 24 is in this case adapted to engage either arms 21 or cross-bars 57 for the purpose of opening the mold. The remainder of the construction is substantially the same in this case as in the form first described.

I prefer to provide an offset joint, as at 64, between the opposing faces of the two mold members adjacent the peripheries thereof, for

- the purpose of preventing leakage of molten metal out between the mold members in case the same do not fit snugly together at all points, due for example to warping. The offset portion of such joint may extend substantially perpendicular to the faces of the mold members (as in Figs. land 2, or obliquely, so as to provide a bevelled seat 65, as shown in Figs. (Sand 7 In the operation of the above described apparatus, the mold members are rotated,.by operation of the driving means above described, at sufficient speed to produce the desired centrifugal'action on the molten metal when poured into the mold and also to cause the counterweights 19 to be held outwardly by centrifugal action with sufficient force to hold the mold member 2 or the sections 2' thereof tightly against mold member 1. This holding togetherof the mold members is effected by means of bell cranks 18 which exert an inward force on rods 11 in an obvious manner. The molten metal, for example, iron or steel of suitable composition, is introduced through opening 45 in any suitable manner and poured intothe metal-receiving space 54 provided between the lip 53 on mold member 2 and the face of the cut-out portion 50 of mold member 1. By centrifugal action such molten metal is forced or caused to flow out- Wardly into all of the mold recesses or cavities 48 and completely fill the same, the pouring of the molten metal beingdiscontinued when the innermost recesses of all the sets, and if desired the passages 51 communicating therewith, are completely filled with the molten metal. It will be seen that dueto the centrifugal action on the molten metal the same is forced tightly against the surfaces of the mold recesses and is caused to completely and uniformly fill the same so that balls of perfect shape and uniform density are thus produced. Furthermore, the rapid rotation of the mold members, together with the circulation of air induced by such rotation causes a' comparatively rapid cooling and setting of the metal, resulting in a decrease in the time required for each molding operation. The cooling of the molds themselves is also hastened by their rotation and the induced circulation of air, and the cooling may, if desired, be further facilitated by providing projecting fins on the mold. members, said fins preferably extending radially as indicated at 47, so as to serve to increase the air circulation as well as the transfer of heat from the mold. members to the air. Furthermore, if desired, a liquid cooling medium such as water may be directed onto the mold members to hasten time the three-way valve 39 is operated by means of handle 41 so as to admit fluid pressure to pressure chamber 35, forcing piston 34 to the left (in Figs. 1' and 3) so as to cause lever arm to throw revolving disk 24 to the position shown in Fig. 3. Such disk engages the ends of rods 11 or arms 2l and causes mold member 2 to move outwardly to open positionas also shown in Fig. 3. The mold recesses are thus opened up sufliciently to permit the cast balls 60, a set of which is shown in Fig. 7 5,- to be dislodged therefrom by centrifugal force and thrown outwardly against the peripheral wall ofhousing 44. Said balls are caused, tostrike said housing with suiiicient force to break the sameapart in the neck portions between the balls as indicated for example by dotted lines 61. The severed balls then fall, or are carried around by the rotational velocity imparted thereto in leaving the mold, into discharge chute 46 whence they maybe delivered to any suitable place for further treatment or storage or for use.

It will be observed that in the casting of the balls in the above-described machine there is practically no wastemetal inasmuch as the entire amount of molten metal which is required orused in making a set of balls comprises, as shown in Fig. 5, only the balls themselves, together with the short neck portions 62 between the balls and at the inner end of the innermost balls of the set.

The neck portions remaining on the balls when broken apart may be removed in any suitable manner if desired before the balls are used, but in grinding operations I prefer to simply use the balls in the shape in which they are discharged from the machine as the slightly proiecting neck portions do no harm in the grinding operations and are soon worn ofi thereby. There is hence a complete absence of waste metal such as spruce or gates which result in the ordinary methods ofcasting and which must be severed from .the balls and remelted for further use. The elimination of this remelting of the sprues and gates results, as above stated, in a very material reduction in fuel consumption.

While I have described my invention particularly in connection withthe casting of so as todirect a jet of water into the central balls for use in grinding operations, it will .be understood that the same may be applied,

- change in the shape of the recesses 48 to con- I claim:

1. Anapparatus for casting metal bodies comprising two mold members each provided with recesses adapted to cooperate when the form to the shape of the bodies to be cast.

molds are in closed position to form cavities corresponding in shape to the bodies to be cast, means engaging said members to cause 3 them to rotate together while permitting one of said members to move longitudinally with respect to the axis of rotation toward or away: from the other member. so as to close or open the mold members, means for rotat- 35 ing said mold members, means mounted on one ofsaid mold members to rotate therewith and adapted for operation by the centrifugal force due to the rotation thereof to hold said mold members in closed =position, 99 means atthe central portion of said members for receiving molten metal, and passage means connecting said metal-receiving means with said recesses. r 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and comprising in addition'means for moving one of said mold members away from the other member so as to open said mold mem-' bers during rotation thereof and against the action of said centrifugally operated holding means and thus permit the cast metal bodies to be dislodged from said recesses.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 and comprising in addition means adapted to engage one of said members to move the same 3" away from the other member and open the molds, fluid pressure actuated means operatively connected to said mold opening means, and means for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to said fluid pressure actuated means v and for also controlling the release of. such pressure therefrom.

4:. An aparatus for casting metal bodies comprising two mold members mounted for rotation about a common axis and being relatively movable longitudinally of said axis into closed or open position, said mold members having means on their opposing faces,

adapted to cooperate when the molds are in closed position to form cavities 'corresponding in shape to the bodies to be cast, there being a plurality of radially extending sets of such cavities and a plu'rality of cavities in each of such sets, and said mold members also having means cooperating to form pass- 135 sages connecting-all the cavities of each set in v series, means at the central portion of said mold members for receiving molten metal, means connecting said metal receiving means with 'all of the sets of cavities, means for ro-. i

tating said mold members, and means for holding said mold members together during the rotation thereof.

5.'An apparatus as set forth in claim 4 'and comprising in addition means for se-pae rating said mold members from one another during the rotation of said members so as to permit the cast bodies to be dislodged from said cavities and discharged from the mold members by centrifugal action.-

6.' An a'p'paratusias set forth in claim 4 and comprising in addition housing means surrounding the peripheral portions of said mold members and means for separating said mold members during the rotation'thereof so as to permit the cast bodies to be dislodged from said mold members by centrifugal action and thrown outwardly against said housing means.

7 An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, and comprising in addition radially extending projecting fins an said mold members to facilitate cooling thereof.

8. An apparatus for casting metal bodies comprising two mold members each provided 5 with recesses adapted to cooperate when the molds are in closed position to form cavities corresponding in shape to the'bodies to be cast, means for rotating said'mold, members, means for holding said mold members in closed position, means at the central portion of said members for receiving molten metal,

passage means connecting said metal receiving means with said recesses, housing means surrounding the peripheral portions of said mold members,.and means formoving one of said mold, members relatively to the other mold member so as to separate said members and permit the cast bodies to be dislodged from said recesses and thrown by centrifugal force outwardly against said housing means.

9. An apparatus for casting metal bodies comprising two mold members mounted for rotation about a common axis and relatively movable longitudinally of said axis into closed or open position, means on the opposing faces of said mold members cooperating to form cavities when the molds are in closed position, means at,the central portion of said mold members for receifing molten metal,

passagemea-ns connecting said metal receiv-.

ing means with said cavities, means for rotating said mold members together about said axis, bell-crank means mounted on one of said i. mold members, counterweight means on said.

bell crank means, and means connecting said bell crank-means -to the other of said mold members, so as to cause said counterweightmeans to operate to move the mold members into closed position and hold the same in said position upon rotationofsaid mold members.

' 10. An apparatus for casting metal bodies comprising two members mounted for rotation about a common axis and relatively mov-, z

able longitudinally of said axis into closed or open position, said mold members having means on their opposing faces cooperating to form cavities when the molds are in closed position, means at the central portion of said mold members for receiving molten metal, passage means connecting said metal receiving means with said cavities, means for rotating said mold members together about said axis and means operable by the centrifugal force due to rotation of said mold members to move said mold members relatively from open position to closed position and tohold the same inclosed position.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 and comprising in addition means for moving said mold members relatively to open position during rotation thereof and against the action of said centrifugally operated means so as to permit the cast metal bodies to be ior'receiving molten metal, passage means connecting said metal receiving means with said cavities, and means operable by centrifugal force due to the rotation of said mold members to hold said members in closed position, one of'said mold members comprising a plurality of segmental sections mdvable in- I dependently longitudinally of said axis.

4 13. An apparatus for casting metal bodies comprising two mold members provided'with meanson their opposing faces cooperating to form cavities when the mold members are ,in closed osition, means for rotating said mold mem ers together about a common axis, one of said mold members being mounted to move longitudinally with respect to said common axis toward or away from the other mold member so as to close or open said mold 1 members, means at the central portion of said mold members for receiving molten metal,

passage means connecting said metal receivmg means with said cavities, and means for holding said mold member together during rotation'thereof, said mold member which is "mounted to move longitudinally of said axis comprising a pluralityof segmental sections independent of one another with respect to said longitudinal movement. I

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this fifth day of Mam-1926.

ALBERT E; MIX. 

